ACT IV
SCENE I A street in Westminster.


 [Enter two Gentlemen, meeting one another]

First Gentleman You're well met once again.

Second Gentleman So are you.

First Gentleman You come to take your stand here, and behold
 The Lady Anne pass from her coronation?

Second Gentleman 'Tis all my business. At our last encounter,
 The Duke of Buckingham came from his trial.

First Gentleman 'Tis very true: but that time offer'd sorrow;
 This, general joy.

Second Gentleman 'Tis well: the citizens,
 I am sure, have shown at full their royal minds--
 As, let 'em have their rights, they are ever forward--
 In celebration of this day with shows,
 Pageants and sights of honour.

First Gentleman Never greater,
 Nor, I'll assure you, better taken, sir.

Second Gentleman May I be bold to ask at what that contains,
 That paper in your hand?

First Gentleman Yes; 'tis the list
 Of those that claim their offices this day
 By custom of the coronation.
 The Duke of Suffolk is the first, and claims
 To be high-steward; next, the Duke of Norfolk,
 He to be earl marshal: you may read the rest.

Second Gentleman I thank you, sir: had I not known those customs,
 I should have been beholding to your paper.
 But, I beseech you, what's become of Katharine,
 The princess dowager? how goes her business?

First Gentleman That I can tell you too. The Archbishop
 Of Canterbury, accompanied with other
 Learned and reverend fathers of his order,
 Held a late court at Dunstable, six miles off
 From Ampthill where the princess lay; to which
 She was often cited by them, but appear'd not:
 And, to be short, for not appearance and
 The king's late scruple, by the main assent
 Of all these learned men she was divorced,
 And the late marriage made of none effect
 Since which she was removed to Kimbolton,
 Where she remains now sick.

Second Gentleman Alas, good lady!

 [Trumpets]

 The trumpets sound: stand close, the queen is coming.

 [Hautboys]

 [THE ORDER OF THE CORONATION]

 1. A lively flourish of Trumpets.

 2. Then, two Judges.

 3. Lord Chancellor, with the purse and mace
 before him.

 4. Choristers, singing.

 [Music]

 5. Mayor of London, bearing the mace. Then
 Garter, in his coat of arms, and on his
 head a gilt copper crown.

 6. Marquess Dorset, bearing a sceptre of gold,
 on his head a demi-coronal of gold. With
 him, SURREY, bearing the rod of silver with
 the dove, crowned with an earl's coronet.
 Collars of SS.

 7. SUFFOLK, in his robe of estate, his coronet
 on his head, bearing a long white wand, as
 high-steward. With him, NORFOLK, with the
 rod of marshalship, a coronet on his head.
 Collars of SS.

 8. A canopy borne by four of the Cinque-ports;
 under it, QUEEN ANNE in her robe; in her hair
 richly adorned with pearl, crowned. On each
 side her, the Bishops of London and
 Winchester.

 9. The old Duchess of Norfolk, in a coronal of
 gold, wrought with flowers, bearing QUEEN
 ANNE's train.

 10. Certain Ladies or Countesses, with plain
 circlets of gold without flowers.

 [They pass over the stage in order and state]

Second Gentleman A royal train, believe me. These I know:
 Who's that that bears the sceptre?

First Gentleman Marquess Dorset:
 And that the Earl of Surrey, with the rod.

Second Gentleman A bold brave gentleman. That should be
 The Duke of Suffolk?

First Gentleman 'Tis the same: high-steward.

Second Gentleman And that my Lord of Norfolk?

First Gentleman Yes;

Second Gentleman Heaven bless thee!

 [Looking on QUEEN ANNE]

 Thou hast the sweetest face I ever look'd on.
 Sir, as I have a soul, she is an angel;
 Our king has all the Indies in his arms,
 And more and richer, when he strains that lady:
 I cannot blame his conscience.

First Gentleman They that bear
 The cloth of honour over her, are four barons
 Of the Cinque-ports.

Second Gentleman Those men are happy; and so are all are near her.
 I take it, she that carries up the train
 Is that old noble lady, Duchess of Norfolk.

First Gentleman It is; and all the rest are countesses.

Second Gentleman Their coronets say so. These are stars indeed;
 And sometimes falling ones.

First Gentleman No more of that.

 [Exit procession, and then a great flourish of trumpets]

 [Enter a third Gentleman]

First Gentleman God save you, sir! where have you been broiling?

Third Gentleman Among the crowd i' the Abbey; where a finger
 Could not be wedged in more: I am stifled
 With the mere rankness of their joy.

Second Gentleman You saw
 The ceremony?

Third Gentleman                   That I did.

First Gentleman How was it?

Third Gentleman Well worth the seeing.

Second Gentleman Good sir, speak it to us.

Third Gentleman As well as I am able. The rich stream
 Of lords and ladies, having brought the queen
 To a prepared place in the choir, fell off
 A distance from her; while her grace sat down
 To rest awhile, some half an hour or so,
 In a rich chair of state, opposing freely
 The beauty of her person to the people.
 Believe me, sir, she is the goodliest woman
 That ever lay by man: which when the people
 Had the full view of, such a noise arose
 As the shrouds make at sea in a stiff tempest,
 As loud, and to as many tunes: hats, cloaks--
 Doublets, I think,--flew up; and had their faces
 Been loose, this day they had been lost. Such joy
 I never saw before. Great-bellied women,
 That had not half a week to go, like rams
 In the old time of war, would shake the press,
 And make 'em reel before 'em. No man living
 Could say 'This is my wife' there; all were woven
 So strangely in one piece.

Second Gentleman But, what follow'd?

Third Gentleman At length her grace rose, and with modest paces
 Came to the altar; where she kneel'd, and saint-like
 Cast her fair eyes to heaven and pray'd devoutly.
 Then rose again and bow'd her to the people:
 When by the Archbishop of Canterbury
 She had all the royal makings of a queen;
 As holy oil, Edward Confessor's crown,
 The rod, and bird of peace, and all such emblems
 Laid nobly on her: which perform'd, the choir,
 With all the choicest music of the kingdom,
 Together sung 'Te Deum.' So she parted,
 And with the same full state paced back again
 To York-place, where the feast is held.

First Gentleman Sir,
 You must no more call it York-place, that's past;
 For, since the cardinal fell, that title's lost:
 'Tis now the king's, and call'd Whitehall.

Third Gentleman I know it;
 But 'tis so lately alter'd, that the old name
 Is fresh about me.

Second Gentleman                   What two reverend bishops
 Were those that went on each side of the queen?

Third Gentleman Stokesly and Gardiner; the one of Winchester,
 Newly preferr'd from the king's secretary,
 The other, London.

Second Gentleman                   He of Winchester
 Is held no great good lover of the archbishop's,
 The virtuous Cranmer.

Third Gentleman All the land knows that:
 However, yet there is no great breach; when it comes,
 Cranmer will find a friend will not shrink from him.

Second Gentleman Who may that be, I pray you?

Third Gentleman Thomas Cromwell;
 A man in much esteem with the king, and truly
 A worthy friend. The king has made him master
 O' the jewel house,
 And one, already, of the privy council.

Second Gentleman He will deserve more.

Third Gentleman Yes, without all doubt.
 Come, gentlemen, ye shall go my way, which
 Is to the court, and there ye shall be my guests:
 Something I can command. As I walk thither,
 I'll tell ye more.

Both                   You may command us, sir.

 [Exeunt]




 KING HENRY VIII


ACT IV